ODOM HAS L.A. ON THE MOVE FORWARD HAS TRIPLE-DOUBLE; LAKERS TAKE OVER NO. 7 SPOT IN WEST LAKERS 111, G. STATE 100.

Byline: ROSS SILER Staff Writer

These are the games that Lamar Odom never got the chance to play in last April, when a shoulder injury ended his season prematurely and the Lakers staggered to the finish without him.

Whether Odom could have made a difference on the way to the draft lottery is debatable, but the 6-foot-10 forward is making up for lost time, surging as the playoffs draw closer this season.

Odom delivered his first triple-double since coming to the Lakers in Tuesday night's 111-100 victory over the Golden State Warriors, finishing with 15 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists, and doing so in only three quarters.

The Lakers (42-37) took sole possession of seventh in the Western Conference standings as Phoenix came from 17 points down to beat Sacramento. The Lakers moved a game ahead of the Kings with three home games to play.

If Odom will be the difference-maker for the Lakers in the playoffs, he has noticed a difference in himself.

"Right now my body is feeling good, my game is feeling good," Odom said at practice Monday. "I'm strong upstairs. I'm just ready to do whatever it takes to make this playoff run."

Kobe Bryant scored 31 points - 30 in the first half - in his shortest night of work in two months, Kwame Brown added 15 points and a season-high 15 rebounds and Smush Parker finished with 18 points.

It was the ninth consecutive loss for Golden State, which finished with an identical 34-48 record as the Lakers last season and will miss the playoffs for a 12th straight season, the second-longest streak in NBA history.

As for Odom, the triple-double was his first in 141 games since coming to the Lakers in the Shaquille O'Neal trade. He took the ball to the basket for five layups, following the four dunks he had Sunday against the Clippers.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson paid Odom a compliment after the game, saying, "He's beautiful to watch going to the basket, making these moves he's been making the last few games."

After so many near-misses, Odom was almost due for a triple-double. It was the ninth of his career and first since March 2004.

"I needed it," Odom said. "I missed so many. Hopefully, this will keep going and the momentum will carry into the playoffs."

Odom brought Bryant out of his seat on the bench with a spectacular move at the end of the third quarter. He drove baseline, hung in the air, evaded Andris Biedrins and flipped in a reverse layup borrowed from Julius Erving.

Since the All-Star break, Odom is averaging 16.8 points, 9.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists.

Jackson credited the breakthrough to Odom working diligently to improve his reaction time as well power around the basket.

"He knows where his angles are going to be," Bryant added. "It's like a quarterback reading coverages."

Jackson also solved the puzzle of Odom's struggles against the Warriors this season. Odom had scored in single digits in all three games against Golden State before Tuesday, including a dismal two-point, 1-for-8 shooting night Jan. 14.

Instead of having Odom match up against Mike Dunleavy, Jackson opted to have Odom play power forward Troy Murphy and start Luke Walton for the second consecutive game.

Jackson additionally talked to Odom about getting involved in the second half after Bryant's 30-point first half.

Bryant, meanwhile, suffered a momentary scare with 2 1/2 minutes left in the second quarter when he was kicked his bruised left shin. He was treated on the bench during a timeout by trainer Gary Vitti and stayed in the game.

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2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) The Lakers' Kobe Bryant goes to the hoop for a basket as Golden State center Adonal Foyle defends Tuesday.

(2) The Lakers' Smush Parker dunks the ball over Golden State's Mike Dunleavy during the first half of Tuesday's game.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer